Designer Lisa Perry Shares Her Top Entertaining Tips for an Awesome Summer Soirée

If you're crazy for N.Y.C. fashion designer Lisa Perry's signature poppy palette and clean silhouettes, you'll be more than a little excited to hear this news: She's taking her oh-so-chic look to the dinner table. Perry just launched a pop-up shop with Barneys called Lisa Perry XO Barneys New York, and it's packed with tabletop and home decor pieces that she has created or curated. Needless to say, she styles her op-art patterns and daring hues to perfection. The shop will be open until Labor Day at the Barneys Madison Avenue flagship in New York. In the spirit of chic summer entertaining, we asked her to reveal some of her best tips for throwing the ultimate summer soirée:

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What are some of your favorite color palettes to use on the table and why?My favorite look for a summer table is using white dishes with pops of color from the spectrum such as yellow, orange, pink, purple, lime, and blue. I like using all the colors at once with my placemats for instance, or keeping a table monochromatic using tones of the same color.

What kinds of flowers do you envision with your aesthetic?My favorite flowers are Gerber daisies. The colors are quite intense and true. I especially love the yellows, oranges, and pinks.

Art is such a big influence in all that you do. Is there a particular artist you like to channel when designing a tabletop display?My "conversation" and number placemats ($25; barneys.com) channel artists Robert Indiana and Roy Lichtenstein. My "op" designs (as seen on this tray, $345; barneys.com) are inspired by Bridget Riley, and my splatter designs (as seen on this placemat, $25; barneys.com) are reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, all of which make for the perfect table setting.

What are some of your favorite dishes to serve at a summer party?Being from the Midwest, I love comfort food so a "hot dog with everything" is on every lunch buffet! A hot crispy tray of mac 'n' cheese and a mini brisket sandwich is a crowd favorite, too.